Shattered Dreams
by JediScully
Summary: A night of drinking takes a tragic turn for Ryoko. Will Tenchi help her to pick up the pieces of dreams? Rated R for sexual content and a vaguely described rape scene. Chapter 5 is now up.
1. Nightmare

The bar she was in was poorly maintained. The smell of stale beer and urine filled the atmosphere. A band no one cared about played ripped off songs on a tiny stage in a corner. She sat at the bar, only concentrating on her shots and dumbfounding the bartender at still being conscious after thirteen shots of tequila. 

Alcohol never really affected Ryoko too much and so she found drinking to be a thing to entertain her when she was bored with life at the Masaki household. About once a month she would sneak off for the night and spend the evening in a bar, trying to forget about Ayeka, Washu, and all the others. Except Tenchi. When it came to him, she would simply try to forget how he could never seem to choose one of them. She sighed as she picked up another shot and gulped it down. Would he ever stop stringing all of them along? Her heart was starting to get tired of never knowing whom he really cared about.

"Hey there pretty," A guy said behind her.

Ryoko turned around to find a rather nasty looking man addressing her. His clothes looked they hadn't been washed in weeks and the aroma of whisky clung to him like a cologne. She could hear the bartender fix up another shot behind her and walk off, probably to take care of another customer. She stared at the guy for a moment before she decided to respond. "I'm sorry pal. I'm not interested."

"Oh it wasn't me, it was my friend. He's just shy," The man pointed next to her.

As if he materialized out of thin air, Ryoko looked over to find an even cruddier looking guy sitting next to her. Inwardly, Ryoko cringed. Why could she never attract nice looking guys? Why did they always have to be scum? "Um, still the same answer. Thanks for the interest anyways."

"What? My friend is not good enough for you?" The first man said in an angry tone. 

Her head swung around to look at him. While she was distracted, the second man slipped something into her drink that quickly dissolved. "Have you ever thought that maybe he is too good for me?" She bit back sarcastically. She was starting to get annoyed by the situation. 

The man put up his hands, looking as if he realized he had offended her. "Hey! I didn't mean to upset you. Sorry, go back to your drink. We won't bother you anymore."

Mumbling under her breath, she turned back around to her drink and downed it quickly. She could feel that the two men still hadn't left. She turned around to find them both standing there, smiling at her. "What the hell is your-" Her words cut off as she blacked out mid sentence.

The first man caught her as she fell forward. The second man quickly tossed some yen on the table to pay for the liquor and they carried her out the door of the crowded bar while the bartender never even noticed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sometimes, late at night, Tenchi would sneak outside. He would walk through the woods near the shrine and think about everything. The night was chilly so Tenchi had an overcoat on top of t-shirt. He was staring to get older. Thoughts of college and careers were filling his head. Thoughts of falling love. He knew most boys his age thought primarily of sex when they thought about girls, but then again, most boys his age didn't have six women that were in love with them. It was so complicated to him. Each woman had a good quality to her; part of them that Tenchi loved them for. And yet, all of them were dear friends to him also. How could he choose one of them and risk ruining the friendships with the rest? How could he put any of them through pain such as that? Tenchi's thoughts suddenly froze in his mind as he heard a scream in the distance. 

"No! Get off me!"

Without any hesitation, Tenchi took off in the direction of the scream. He could tell now that it was a woman and he could hear the yelling of two men also. The cries of the woman would be load then muffled and loud once more. He was spurred on desperately by the anguish in the woman's voice. As Tenchi neared the area he skidded to a halt as it suddenly went quiet. He heard a few more muffled noises and then a thump as something hit the floor of the woods. A car roared to life, startling Tenchi, as it tore off into the night. He approached cautiously into a clearing in the woods he never knew was there. A road path led away from it and he could see fresh tire tracks in the dirt. 

Forgetting about the car for the moment, he ran over to the crumpled form on the ground. She laid with her knees pulled up to her chest tightly, her arms wrapped around them and her head buried against her legs. Tatters of fabric were all that remained of her clothing, which clung to her shaking form. Cuts and dirt were visible from the moonlight that filtered down between the tree branches. It was then that Tenchi realized with a sinking feeling that the woman lying on the ground had cyan colored hair. "God, please no," He whispered as he approached her and knelt down. 

He reached out and touched her gently, hoping not to startle her. The woman sprang backwards in a rage, trying to defend herself. "No, don't touch me!" She screamed, her eyes open and staring at him, yet seeming not to see him at all. "Don't hurt me!" She pleaded as she continued to move backwards. 

Tenchi's heartstrings snapped as the worst thing he ever thought could happen was made into a reality. He advanced towards her cautiously as she continued to scream, still not seeming to see anything. Finally, he managed to wrap his arms around her. He spoke to her, trying to get a response. He held on tightly as she fought against him, tears starting to well in his eyes as she beat her fists on him and begged him not to hurt her. After what seemed forever she went limp in his arms as she collapsed from exhaustion. He gathered her up, holding her against his rapidly beating heart. 

"Hold on Ryoko," He prayed as he took off towards the house with her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Washu looked over at her alarm clock as the banging sounded on the door to her lab. 2:30 am. Whoever the hell was beating down her door better have a damn good excuse or she was going to kill them, she decided. She made her way to the door and swung it open, preparing to yell at whomever was on the other side, but stopped as the color drained from her face. 

"Washu," Tenchi's voice cracked as he spoke to her. "Ryoko's..." She could see he was about to break down. She silenced him and ushered him into her lab quickly, making an examination table appear in the middle of the room and instructing him to lay her on it. She changed hurriedly into her work clothes and rushed back to Ryoko's side to find Tenchi standing near her protectively, seeming to be unaware of the tears he was shedding. "Tenchi, what happened?" She asked him.

He looked up at her dazed. "I'm- I'm not sure. I was walking in the woods and I heard screams. When I reached the place Ryoko was laying on the ground..." He looked downward at the girl lying unconscious on the bed, unable to say anything else. 

A lump formed in Washu's throat to see Tenchi so upset. "Why don't you go lay down on my bed Tenchi? You look tired."

"But-" The young man protested.

"I can take care of Ryoko," The red haired scientist cut him off. "She will be okay with me Tenchi. I promise if I need any help, I will come get you." 

Tenchi gave into defeat. He turned to Ryoko once more and looked at her. Washu was shocked as he let his hand brush against her cheek then bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Ryoko," He sighed before walking off to sleep in Washu's bed.

The scientist turned towards her patient, only now allowing her tears to show. Calming herself, she started what she knew would be a long couple of hours ahead. 

AN: Well? Was it any good? I will have the next chapter up soon, but if you like it, please write me and let me know. I tried not to be too graphic about the rape scene. 


	2. Morning after

Chapter 2

AN: I want to say I appreciate all the reviews of the story, both the positive and negative ones. I normally would never touch a subject such as rape, but this idea has been buzzing in my head for a long time. I would like to say to the people, who have offered constructive criticism, it was observed and considered. I have been a fan of Tenchi Muyo for quite a long time and I believe (as with all characters) that nothing is impossible when it comes to the stories. Isn't that what anime is all about? As for the ones concerned that I am not keeping true to Ryoko, read this chapter then offer some more constructive feedback if you feel it is necessary, but I think this story does have some plausibility. I also want to apologize for any grammar mistakes. I was in a rush to get that chapter finished and up. Enough of my babbling ;) On with the story.

His mind was willing him awake, trying to make him open his eyes and face reality. The last thing he wanted to do was to wake up and find out that it all was real. As long as he stayed asleep, he could try to block out seeing her like that. Hearing her in so much pain...

"Tenchi?" Washu called down to him as she sat next to him on the bed. He gave no response, even though part of him was dying to know if she was okay. "I am going to go upstairs and get some food for you, and me," She continued. "So you know, I have Ryoko's condition as stable as it can get for the moment. After we eat something I plan to run some tests," With that, he felt the woman climb off the bed and leave the room. 

He opened his eyes with a sigh. It wasn't a dream. It was real. Some men had taken one of the most precious girls in his life and had violated and humiliated her. And he could have stopped it... "If only I had reached her sooner," He said softly, guilt in his voice. He climbed out of Washu's bed, running a hand through his rumpled hair as he did so. What little rest he had managed to get had been plagued with visions of what the men must have done to her. His blood boiled as he thought about it, echoing a desire drilling in the back of his skull to find the men that had hurt her and kill them. He knew right now that focusing on thoughts like that would only make the situation worse. He let go of his anger with a deep breath, feeling sadness take its place as he exhaled. He decided to go check on her while he waited for Washu to return.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ryoko stood under the assault of the hot water, her mind in a fog. What had happened? Why did she hurt so much? There was a throbbing pain behind her left eye, as if someone had hit her. She looked down to see bite marks surrounded by bruises of purple, green, and yellow covering her torso, looking like odd flower blossoms. Her breasts ached to touch and she saw dried blood splashed on her inner thighs along with more bruises. A sob tore loose from her throat as she fell to the floor of the shower. Something was terribly wrong, but what? She couldn't remember.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When he stepped into the lab, he was caught off guard to not see Ryoko lying on the examination table. The linens on the table were bloody and covered with dirt. He could hear a shower running at the far end of the lab and made his way over to it to find her crying as the hot water poured down on her. "Ryoko," He called out to her. She looked up at him and he was relieved this time she at least looked like she could see him. 

"Tenchi?" She called out uncertainly as she curled up tighter on the floor. "What happened to me?"

He stepped into the shower, his clothes instantly becoming drenched with water. Bending down, he scooped her up gently into his arms, despite her lame protests. She clung to him, burying her face in his chest in embarrassment as he carried her back to the examination table. He wrapped a blanket around her as she let go of him and sat on the table. He could already tell she felt ashamed for having been seen like this. He was sure her pride would have been wounded if anyone had seen her like she was, but he knew that she was even more upset that it had been him. As if to reassure her, he leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. 

"Whoa," She said as she pushed him off with shaky hands. "I have no clue what is going on and all of a sudden you are going mushy on me. This is all a little too much."

"Ryoko?" Washu said as she walked into the scene, carrying a tray of food. "You should still be asleep."

"I found her in the shower," Tenchi replied as he walked up and took the tray from Washu. 

She sighed as she walked over to check on her patient. "I should have known that tranquilizer wouldn't have worked for long. Are you hungry Ryoko?"

She shook her head. "I feel too sick to eat."

"That's natural," She replied to the younger woman. "Your body has taken a lot of damage." 

"Washu," Ryoko started. "Tell me what happened? What is wrong?"

Tenchi looked up at the scientist and she could see the guilt in his eyes once more. "I'm going to head upstairs and get changed. Maybe sleep a little," He said to her. 

"That's probably best."

He glanced down at Ryoko, part of him wishing she would ask him to stay. He was disappointed when she simply stared down at her feet. "Let Washu take care of you," He said softly, fighting back the urge to reach out and touch her again to confirm she was safe. With one more look towards Washu, he left the lab.

After he had left, the two women stared at each other for a moment. "What do you remember?" Washu asked her.

"Not much. Drinking tequila at a bar and some creeps hitting on me. I told them to get lost and it all goes fuzzy after that."

Washu sat down next to her on the bed. The woman she was talking to was her daughter, even if neither of them really didn't admit it that much. She may not have acted like the mother Ryoko needed at times, but nonetheless, she cared about her. "Ryoko," She began slowly. "From what tests I have run so far it seems you were slipped what is called a "date rape" drug. It is basically used to make woman become passive to a man's advances on her by either disorienting her or just making her unconscious. Because of your DNA being similar to a human's and the fact that you had been drinking, I think it worked, but it had a few side affects. I have never tested that kind of drug on your genetics and it is possible that you can't be immune to everything thrown at you. Your body seemed to keep fighting it off, but you were temporarily stripped of your powers, making it difficult to protect yourself. Ironically enough... they brought you to the woods outside the shrine. Tenchi had been out late and he heard you screaming. He found you, but unfortunately, the men that assaulted you escaped."

She stared at Washu for a moment as she let it all sink in. Those men had raped her. They had beat her and made her submit to their will. She wrapped the blanket around her tighter as she began to feel filthy all over. 

"But the bright side is you are okay. I think you will make a full recovery in time," Washu tried to encourage her. "There are a few tests left to run, but they can wait a while."

"Okay," Ryoko whispered.

"I know," Washu said, standing up and pulling her off the table. "Why don't we get you cleaned up? You will feel a little better after that."

She simply nodded and allowed herself to be led to Washu's bathtub. Once there, Washu ran some water into the tub and gently pried the blanket away from her. Ryoko lowered into the water and despite the haze of emotions she was in, was surprised to find Washu working diligently to clean her up, being careful of her wounds. She talked to her in soothing tones, almost seeming to be her mother for once, despite the fact that she looked like she was twelve. 

After she was clean, Ryoko slipped into the robe Washu gave her, listening to her advice for once when she told her to go easy on using her powers until she was stronger. "Do you feel like talking about it?" Washu asked her daughter as she brushed her hair out.

"No," She replied automatically. "I would rather not. And I would like it if you didn't mention it to the others. It is bad enough that Tenchi has to know."

"Well, what are you going to tell them? You have a pretty nice shiner going there. It's kinda hard to hide a black eye."

Ryoko reached up and touched the tender area around her left eye. She knew without looking that it was a deep purple bruise from previous experiences of giving and receiving black eyes. "I'll think of something. I'm going to go upstairs and see if I can borrow something to wear from Mihoshi and then maybe go for a walk to think."

"Be careful."

"I am not a little girl!" Ryoko suddenly flared, turning towards the scientist with a growl. "It's light outside for Christ's sake! I will be fine!"

Washu stared at her, stunned at her outburst. Ryoko simply stormed out of the lab in response.

As she stomped through the living room she passed Sasami and Ayeka sitting on the couch. "What happened to you Ryoko?" Sasami gasped as she saw the space pirate's black eye.

"Nothing," She replied lamely.

"She probably got in a fight while she was out drinking herself into a stupor last night," Ayeka bit out in Ryoko's direction.

A bitter smirk came across her face. "You know what princess? For once you are right. I drank myself stupid and tore the bar apart in the best damn fight this town has seen in years!" She yelled at her.

"At least you admit the truth," The princess said coolly, as if trying to provoke her more. Ryoko stared at her for a second, not saying anything. As she spun on her foot to go upstairs she heard Ayeka mutter under her breath: "Animal."

"Prude," She insulted loudly as she walked off to find Mihoshi. 


	3. Comfort

Chapter 3

AN: Sorry it has been so long since I have updated. A lot of things have been going on since I've started this ^.^;; Oh well. Hope you enjoy.

Ryoko stepped back into the clearing of the Masaki house from her walk in the woods as the sun began to set. She had walked for hours, and yet felt the same. Lost. Confused. Not herself anymore. Retrieving a ladder from the garage, due to she wasn't supposed to be using her powers, she climbed up onto the roof of the house and sat down. Gazing into the fading sun, part of her wondered why it had to happen to her. Had she looked like a victim? Could she have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Fear was an emotion she didn't like feeling and now it absorbed her, making her tremble. 

"Are you cold?"

She turned around, surprised to hear someone talking to her. "Tenchi," She muttered in a mixture of relief and regret. Part of her wanted to have him close and thank him for doing what he could to help her. The other part was ashamed and wanted to run from him.

"Can I sit down?" He asked her as he walked closer.

She gave a half-hearted shrug as she tried to ignore the uneasiness growing in her stomach. His warmth called out to her as he sat down next to her. Only yesterday would she have thrown her arms around him in a show of affection, but now she wanted to slide away from him. 

Without asking again, Tenchi took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. "It's getting chilly out," He commented as he turned to watch the sunset. 

"It's fall again," She replied quietly.

He nodded in agreement. 

"Will you be starting college soon?"

He turned his head to regard her in the fading light. "Maybe. It all depends on what is going on here. You never know, someone might need me."

Ryoko snickered, starting to become unnerved by where the conversation seemed to be going. "Yeah. I'm sure the princess would be lost without you."

He sighed in frustration. "I'm sure Ayeka would be fine without me. I guess I am just trying to ask if... are you alright?"

"I- I don't know if I am alright," She admitted honestly. "I just don't really want to think or talk about it."

"I guess I understand that. Did Washu say you were okay?"

"She hasn't finished all the tests yet." 

"Oh," He replied. 

A silence descended and seemed to fill the space between them, almost tangible. Ryoko tried to concentrate on the sunset, but found that she couldn't. Something was bothering her too much for her to be able to. "Tenchi... I need to know something."

He turned and looked at her, his dark eyes fastened on bruised face. "Anything I can tell you, I will."

The way he stared at her was unnerving. She turned her head so she would not have to see him as she talked. "Why... why did you kiss me earlier?"

"I'm sorry I caught you off guard. I didn't mean to- I mean I didn't think," He sighed. "I'm not sure why I kissed you earlier. It was just like instinct. As if I was making sure you understood that you were safe with me," Tenchi's hand slid over and caught hers, holding it lightly. "Washu said you may not feel safe around people you normally would. Do you feel safe..." He trailed off, not wanting to say the rest.

Ryoko was shocked that he had grabbed her hand. On one point she was happy to have him reaching out to her, but she also felt overwhelmed and scared that he was touching her. Swiftly, she jerked her hand away from him. His eyes went wide in surprise as she suddenly stood up. "I have to go," She managed to croak out as she felt tears starting to well up in the corners of her eyes. She ran to the ladder and climbed down, disappearing into the house as the sun became only a mere glimmer on the horizon. 

Tenchi sighed as the sun completely faded from view and made his way off the lonely roof. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dinner passed uneventfully except for neither Ryoko or Washu being present at the dinner table. Washu had decided when Ryoko had returned from her walk that she would ask Sasami to bring them their dinner in the lab so she could finish up her tests and tend to some of Ryoko's wounds. At about ten, Ryoko started to feel tired, due to the exhaustion her body was suffering. Washu offered to let her stay in the lab for the night, but she refused, deciding rather to sleep on her usual spot of the living room couch and to come back in the morning to see if anything else had shown up on the tests Washu was doing. 

She made her way upstairs, fetching a blanket from the linen closet and laid down on the couch. Grandpa was back at the shrine by now, and Tenchi's father had most likely retired to his room to watch t.v. Mihoshi and Kiyone were out on patrol no doubt, and she knew that Ayeka tried to make it a habit to have her and Sasami in bed by 9:30. With everyone in their respective spots, all was very calm. And quiet. Very, very quiet. It was dark in the living room, and the silence felt like it clung to her. She tried to think of calming, positive things, but her thoughts kept coming back to last night. Tenchi had only been half right about her feeling safe. She didn't feel safe in general. Her thoughts drifted off on Tenchi. She felt bad for treating him the way she had. After all, hadn't she always craved this attention from him? And even though she didn't feel safe with him, she still wanted to be near him. She still loved him. She knew right about this time he would have just finished up his studying for the night and had taken a shower. He was probably getting ready to walk into his room right now to go to sleep. 

For some reason she could not even name, she needed to see him. She needed to have him close. She had to come up with an excuse of course. She suddenly remembered she still had his coat with her. _Perfect, _She thought. _I will just return his coat to him. _She decided she would rather meet him in his room rather than barge in on him, so disobeying Washu's directions to not use her powers, she teleported up to his room and sat on the edge of his bed to wait for him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tenchi finished drying off his hair and then secured his bath towel around his waist. Peeking his head out the bathroom door timidly to make sure the hall was clear, he made his way to his bedroom. One could never be too cautious in this house. He walked into his room and shut the door before noticing that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Rather than being embarrassed, he was rather relieved. "I didn't expect to see you here." He said as he put a hand on his towel to hold it firmly in place. He expected a lecherous comment to escape her lips, but that was before he remembered she was probably not in the mood to do that. 

"I thought I would give you back your coat," She said timidly, holding it out to him. 

He muttered a thank you as he took it from her and draped it over the chair of his desk. He turned back and looked at her, simply locking gazes as neither spoke until Ryoko cleared her voice awkwardly and turned her back to give him privacy. He changed into his sleep clothes as fast as he could, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "You can turn around now," He said after a moment.

Ryoko turned around to find him in a pair of dark cotton sweat pants and a white t-shirt. Ryoko herself had on a white shirt and a pair of hunter green shorts. She was getting ready to speak, when he cut her off.

"I wanted to apologize to you Ryoko. I was acting like an idiot up on the roof tonight. You've had something rough happen to you and I shouldn't just expect you to bounce back. Please... I'm sorry for how I've been acting Ryoko. I will just give you your space."

She looked up at him for a moment, hurt. He watched as she slowly stood up from her spot on the bed and walked over towards him, stopping with only a breath's space between them. Tenchi had grown since she first met him, and now she could look him directly in the eye. They were not exactly the same height, but now she hovered only a mere two inches above him. Raising a hand, she cupped one of his cheeks, fighting down the uprising of nervousness at touching him. "Tenchi," She murmured, "I don't want any space. I'm confused... scared. Can I please stay here tonight?"

He was caught off guard by her confession, never believing she would have voluntarily shown her vulnerability. He covered the hand touching his face with his own. "Of course," He replied. He let go of her and stepped away, going to the bed and laying down, pushing himself into the furthest corner to leave her plenty room. 

Ryoko crawled onto the bed and curled up as close as possible to him, wrapping her arms around him and tucking her head under his chin. "Thank you," She muttered under her breath, fighting back tears.

Surprised for a moment, he wrapped an arm around her slender form, feeling the silkiness of her hair tickling the underside of his chin. "No problem," He said softly. She started to shake, crying silent tears. Tenchi held her without saying anything else, simply trying to comfort her.


	4. First kiss

Chapter 4

Ryoko awoke from her dreamless sleep to find herself curled up next to the warm form of a slumbering Tenchi. She looked up at his peaceful face as he breathed lightly in sleep. Being in the shelter of his arms, the warmth of him washing over her, made her fears melt away. She almost felt normal again. She nuzzled under his chin, sighing happily. He yawned as he blinked awake, wrapping his arms tighter around her as he became more aware of his surroundings.

"Hmm, good morning," He replied in a sleepy tone. 

"Good morning to you too." She said contently. Her lips loomed close to the soft skin of his neck and not thinking she pressed them against him in a tender kiss. 

She heard his sudden intake of breath and felt his pulse quicken under her caress. "Ryoko," He groaned in a rough voice as she felt his hands tighten into fists around handfuls of her shirt. 

"I- don't think you should do that," He said shakily. 

"I think I should," She purred as she pulled away from the hollow of his neck to look at him. She locked eyes with him and advanced closer until she was hovering a mere millimeter over his lips. "Tenchi," She murmured. 

"Ryoko..." His eyes slipped shut as she closed the space between them and brushed her soft lips against his own. His hands loosened their hold on her shirt and smoothed out to rub her back as he sank into the oblivion of her taste. He remained passive, letting her deepen it of her own accord, fighting back the urge to devour all of her in their first kiss. 

Ryoko was uncertain about trying to kiss him at first, but when he responded she melted into him, kissing him fully, wanting to submerse herself in him. She had dreamt about this moment for what felt like an eternity, but it was finally happening. She was finally getting to show Tenchi her love...

_Just hold still bitch!_

The words popped into her head randomly, being yelled in an angry male voice. She pushed it out of her thoughts, trying to just concentrate on the moment when she was thrown back into the dark, the men ripping off her clothes as she struggled to get away. She pulled back as one of them forced his mouth roughly against hers and she raised a hand up swiftly, bringing it down hard.

Tenchi was unsure what was going on. She had suddenly pushed away and had slapped him. Hard. With pain flaring sharply though his face he lunged off the bed after her as she scrambled madly backwards. 

"No! Stay away!" She yelled, the glazed look that had been in her eyes when he had first found her having returned. She was trapped in whatever had a hold of her, shaking violently as she backed up into a corner. 

He cursed under his breath, realizing it would do no good for him to try and touch her. He took off out the bedroom door, running down the stairs at full force. "Washu!" He yelled as he saw the scientist running towards him halfway down the stairs.

"Where is she?" She demanded, having sensed something was wrong with her daughter. 

"In my bedroom."

They ran into the room where Washu quickly produced a syringe full of tranquilizer. She advanced swiftly on her, Ryoko screaming at the top of her lungs the second she made contact. After a moment the scientist managed to pin her long enough to give her the shot. She backed off quickly as she waited for the drug to kick in. A few seconds later she laid limp on the floor, deep in forced unconsciousness. 

"Thank God," Tenchi sighed in relief, grateful she had been put under control before she could hurt herself. 

"What's going on?!" 

Tenchi and Washu looked up to find the doorway crammed with the rest of the female occupants of the household, their eyes as large as saucers. The first comment came from Sasami, seeming innocent enough, but then Ayeka screeched out:

"What is _she_ doing in your room?!" 

Tenchi walked over to the fallen girl, scooping her rag-doll body into his arms. "That doesn't matter right now," He said as he started to walk out of the room, the girls parting to let him by without argument. 

Washu followed in silence as he carried her daughter to her lab.

AN: That's all for now. Sorry it's short. Reviews will get you another chapter faster! Thanks for reading!


	5. Upsetting News

Chapter 5

"Before you ask, I whipped up a new tranquilizer designed just for Ryoko's system. It should keep her under this time," Washu said helpfully as Tenchi laid her down on the examination table. He watched as she hooked up various patches to her body to monitor different things including a large band that she adhered across her forehead. "So what happened exactly?" She asked him. 

"Well, she stayed the night in my room because she was upset and this morning she starts screaming and got that look like she couldn't see me again," He supplied.

"Was it just screaming or saying stuff?"

"She was saying 'no' and 'don't touch me'."

Washu simply nodded as she turned to look at one monitor. "That strip across her forehead is keeping track of her brainwaves," She explained as she pointed out the strip to him. "See how the line is going crazy? It's similar to if she was having a nightmare. I think the rape was so traumatic that she repressed the memories of it, but something may have triggered some of them to resurface. It was probably just like it was happening to her all over again." Tenchi sighed, dragging his hand across his face as she talked. She looked up at him, seeing the miserable expression on his face. "What were you guys doing right before it happened?"

Tenchi jerked his head up to look at her, his face going red. He stuttered, suddenly at a loss for words.

Washu looked at him, grinning slyly to hide her shock. "I may look like a kid Tenchi, but I assure you that whatever it is, I have heard about before."

"We were kissing," He finally admitted, his face turning even more impossibly red.

"Alright," Washu shushed him. "You don't have to give me details. I just needed an idea of what could have caused it." He appeared greatly appreciative, but simply nodded at her. "Why don't you go get cleaned up and get dressed? Come back by after you are done and let me look at where she hit you."

He hadn't told her that she had hit him, but he was sure the tender area was trying to bruise. "Okay," He said as he headed off. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Where had the sunshine gone? How had she ended up in the dark? Safe and warm, wrapped in a tender kiss, only to be hurled back to the cruelty of the two men trying to violate every aspect of her. 

Kicking, hitting, biting, yelling. None of it seemed to do any good. Their hands were everywhere, greedy and rough, dirtying her skin wherever they touched. They were harsh with their mouths, biting her breasts so she would scream more. 

_Just hold still bitch!_

She was forced onto the ground and one of them laid on top of her, crushing his mouth against hers. She pushed him off and slapped him, putting all of her strength into it. His head snapped back from the force, and when he turned back to her blood trickled out of his mouth. 

_That was a big mistake, whore._

The other man pinned her upper half to the ground, using his legs to keep her arms on the ground. She struggled to get away, and started to scream louder as the other man stripped off his clothes.

Pain, blinding pain. He was so rough, tearing the delicate flesh in between her legs. She cried, sobbing as he continued harder, spurred on by his companion's cheers. By the time the other had taken his turn, dark blood drenched her inner thighs. 

After they were done, one man dragged her off the floor of the woods and held her up, holding her arms behind her back. She hung limply in his grasp, barely holding onto consciousness. She became wide awake though as the other man's foot made contact with her pelvis. A newfound strength to scream surged inside her and she screamed as loud as she could. The man holding her slapped a hand across her mouth as the other man continued his assault. Tears streamed down her face as she screamed muffled cries, each time the man kicked her spreading fire through her. Her vision faded as the man dropped her, her body starting to go into shock. She curled her knees up to her chest, ignoring the pain flaring through her core. Their words became muffled, but she could distinctly hear one of them call her a whore and spat at her. The van they had used to get her out here roared to life, deafening her almost. She listened as they sped off, leaving her alone in the night. 

A few moments of being alone passed, her simply trying to breath and hold onto being aware. A hand touched her and she feared they had come back. She screamed, trying to get away. "No, don't touch me! Don't hurt me!" She cried out as she backed away from the person. The person came towards her and wrapped his arms around her as she continued to scream and plead, beating weak hands against his chest. Finally her body gave up on her, surrendering her to the dark. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tenchi scooped up a handful of water up from the running water and splashed it on his face, washing off the remains of shaving foam. As he turned off the water he looked up into the mirror, seeing the bruise that had come out full force while he had been showering. It covered his left cheek, a deep vibrant purple. He sighed as he touched it gingerly, knowing the other girls were going to want to know how it happened. He had no idea what to say to them. To tell them the truth would probably get Ryoko killed in a murderous rage by Ayeka. He would probably get killed too after she learned he had participated in it willingly. 

He stared at himself in the mirror. How had his life become so complicated? He should be worrying about going off to college and figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. Lately however, thoughts of the girls in the Masaki house had filled his mind. He did love all of them more than life itself, but he had discovered he had fallen in love with one of them. It wasn't until he had almost lost her that he had realized how empty his life would be without her. 

He knew she had suffered tremendously. He was waiting till she was healed and able to return his feelings, but then she had kissed him on the neck...

He had said maybe they should stop, but when she had kissed him on the lips, there had been no turning back. It had taken all of his strength to let her have control, fighting the urge to claim all of her honey mouth. After he had spent a mere few minutes in heaven, it had been abruptly ended with her slapping him.

He turned off the light and left the bathroom, making his way back down to Washu's lab. He was not mad she had done it, he was mad that this was happening to her. He swore to himself that he would stay by her side and do whatever he could to help her get better. 

"Lord Tenchi?"

He looked up as he came down the stairs, Lady Ayeka standing timidly at the foot of them. "Yes?" He said simply.

"I was wondering... would I be able to speak with you? In private?"

He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, sighing softly under his breath. "Not right now. I have to go check on Ryoko."

"Lord Tenchi," She called out after him, to no avail, as he left her alone in the living room. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Washu examined his cheek closely, trying to be tender due to he flinched whenever she touched it. "It doesn't look she damaged anything thankfully," She muttered in relief. "Basically she just tried to tenderize your cheek."

"That's about how it feels," He grumbled with a grimace as he applied an ice pack Washu handed him to bring down the swelling. "How is she doing?" He asked as he looked over at the examination table she laid on. 

The monitor that had been recording her brain waves had slowed down to a steady pace, almost as if she was in a dreamless state. It had been over an hour and she appeared as if she was just taking a nap. She started to rustle in her sleep, her eyelids starting to flutter. 

"I was just getting ready to say that the tranquilizer should be wearing off," Washu piped up as Tenchi walked closer to Ryoko.

She snapped awake suddenly, bolting to a sitting position, a hand splayed tightly across her lower abdomen. She looked downward, her golden eyes fastened to where her hand lay. 

"Ryoko?" Tenchi said uncertainly after a moment.

She looked up at him, confused. She started to say something, but paused, turning to look at Washu. "We need to talk," She said to the scientist.

Her mother regarded her somberly for a moment. "Of course," She replied. "Tenchi," She turned towards the young man. "Ryoko and I need some time alone."

Dull pain throbbed through his cheek as the ice pack pressed against his skin started to make it go numb. He wanted to protest, but he knew something was wrong by how Ryoko clutched herself. He reached over and placed a hand tenderly on her arm. She looked up at him, startled. He tried his best to smile, despite how pain erupted through his cheek. "Can I come back in a while?" He asked gently, staring into her gold eyes. 

"Sure," She replied shakily, taking the hand not resting on her abdomen and squeezing his fingers momentarily. An awkward moment passed as he started to lean forward to kiss her on the forehead, but thought better of it. Releasing her arm, he turned and left the lab. 

Ryoko stared after him until he was out of sight. "Oh God," She said quietly. "I did that to him, didn't I?"

Washu sat down next to the table, making a chair appear underneath her. "Yes, but nobody blames you. We know you were having a flashback triggered by the kiss."

Ryoko turned bright red, just as Tenchi had earlier. "He told you," She groaned in embarrassment.

Washu chuckled. It had been expected for Tenchi to be shy about something so personal, but it was a surprise to learn that Ryoko might have a modesty streak. "It was... surprising, to say the least," She said to her daughter. 

She looked up at the redhead, her eyes serious. "I remember everything Washu."

The scientist sighed, rubbing a hand against her temples. "I was hoping you wouldn't for a while."

"I need to know. How bad was I hurt?"

"I know you don't want me to dance around the answer, so I am just going to say it," Washu's hand slid across the table and grasped her daughter's hand. "The assault... after the rape," Her voice shook, hating to have to say what she had to. "Caused severe damage. You almost died from internal bleeding. That wasn't all however. I'm afraid that almost all chances of you being able to conceive children naturally were destroyed by them."

Ryoko started at her, the words not computing at first. She looked at her, seeing tears well up in the older woman's eyes. "Are you saying..." She started slowly. "That I can't have children?"

"No!" Washu stated firmly, shaking her head. "I did my best to make sure you would at least be able to have children. I managed to harvest a few eggs before I had to remove your ovaries. The uterus didn't take as much damage, so I was able to leave it. If you used artificial insemination, nothing should be able to stop you from having a child if you wanted to."

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"I was hoping if I waited, it wouldn't be as hard for you to take." 

"Does..." Her eyes slipped closed for a moment as she tried to get her emotions under control. "Does Tenchi know?" Could his recent actions towards her have been out of pity?

"No."

Partly relieved, she began to pull off the patches Washu had plastered all over her. "I have to go talk to Tenchi," She said before her mother could ask where she was going. Ryoko changed into a pair of clothes that Washu had retrieved for her. 

"I'm sorry Ryoko," Washu said softly. "I tried my best."

Washu looked at the woman, uncertain of what to say. Not able to think of anything she felt suiting, she left the lab in silence. 

AN: There you guys go. I hope this one was long enough and that it wasn't too much of a wait for it. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon. I already have an idea for it. Until later, :::waves to the readers::: 


	6. Confrontations and Decisions

Chapter 6

"Lord Tenchi please!" Ayeka persisted as he came out of Washu's lab. "I really need to talk with you."

He could see she was upset. "Fine," He relented. "Let's go outside."

The late afternoon sun glared down between the branches of the ancient tree near the lake. They took shelter in the small shade it offered, Tenchi leaning against the trunk as he applied the icepack to his face. After a moment of a small struggle, She managed to pull the pack away from his face. 

"That's quite nasty," She commented as she examined his face. 

"It's nothing really," He said as she shooed her away. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

She closed her wine colored eyes for a moment and opened them, taking a deep breath. "I want to know what's going on."

"That seems to be the question of the moment, but I can't talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Because if you were in the same position you would want the same thing."

"Oh really?" Ayeka quipped icily. "It is kind of surprising that Ryoko hasn't been flaunting the fact that she managed to seduce you. This shroud of secrecy is quite the opposite of what anyone would expect of her."

He gawked at her for a moment, his mouth hanging open slightly in shock. His surprise quickly faded though as he set his jaw firmly, unconsciously glaring at her. "That's what you think is going on?" He asked.

"Yes I do," She nodded, tendrils of dark lavender hair bobbing around her face. "And I will continue to believe that until you tell me otherwise." She looked up at him as he suddenly gave a low chuckle and relaxed his form back into the support of the tree trunk. 

"She didn't seduce me."

"Then why was she in your room?"

"Something happened to her a few days ago and she couldn't sleep. She came to my room to talk and when she fell asleep I didn't have the heart to make her leave."

"What was so bad that you let her into your room late at night to talk about it?"

He sighed. "I can't tell you that Ayeka. You know that if it had been you I would have done the same thing."

"Really?" She questioned, walking closer. She saw how he became nervous when she invaded his personal space. "Tenchi," She said in a more civil tone, trying to choose her words and feelings carefully. "How do you feel about her?"

"Ryoko?" He replied as he arched an eyebrow, being caught off guard slightly by her question. "Why?"

"I think you know why Tenchi."

They locked eyes and a moment of silence passed between them as they both seemed to search for answers. Tears suddenly welled up in the corners of her eyes as Ayeka lost her patience. 

"You know what's in all our hearts, but we have not even a clue as to what is in yours. Just tell me Tenchi, do you love her?" She pleaded.

He sighed, not sure what to say, when suddenly she launched herself into his arms and pressed her lips against his in a desperate kiss.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ryoko had walked outside to find Tenchi after Mihoshi had told her he had left the house, only to pause a good distance away when she saw he was talking to Ayeka. She could not hear what was being said but from how tense the two looked it was obvious they were talking about her. They had went quiet for a moment when Ayeka had began to speak again and then flung herself into Tenchi and kissed him. Tears instantly flooded her eyes, seeing the two of them locked in an embrace. Unable to bear the scene, she spun on her heel and ran off into the woods.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It took him a second to comprehend what was going on in shock, but he quickly and gently pushed her off. "Ayeka please," He said softly as they disentangled. 

The tears she had been fighting started to flow freely. "So I see," Her voice cracked as she tried to talk. "You do love her."

"I never meant to hurt you... any of you," He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her some. "I didn't realize how I felt until she was in trouble. I'm sorry Ayeka."

She slipped away from his hold, blinded by her tears. "I- I have to go Tenchi," She muttered and started back to the house on autopilot. 

He watched her go, unable to make himself move to stop her. She disappeared from view through the front door and yet he lingered by the tree, thoughts spinning through his mind. Ayeka had kissed him and he had admitted to being in love with Ryoko for the first time. He sighed and snatched the ice pack off the ground that he had dropped when Ayeka had startled him. He had been alone thinking for about twenty minutes. Surely he could go check on Ryoko now. He made his way back into the house, Mihoshi and Kiyone sitting in the living room watching a soap opera. There was no sign of either Sasami or Ayeka, but he figured he would not be seeing Ayeka for a while after what happened. "Hey guys, have you seen either Washu or Ryoko?" He asked. 

"Washu's still in the lab, but Ryoko went outside about oh... twenty, twenty-five minutes ago," Kiyone answered as Mihoshi sighed dreamily over the lead actor of the show they were watching.

"Twenty-five minutes ago?" He said puzzled. "I didn't see her come out."

"Well you should have. She was looking for you," Mihoshi perked up from her spot on the couch, returning momentarily to reality. 

"Oh my god," Tenchi said as it clicked. "She saw. I have to go find her!" He spun around and ran out of the house. 

The two galaxy police officers sat on the couch looking more confused than he had a moment ago. "Saw what?" Kiyone asked to no one in particular.

"Beats me," Mihoshi shrugged and went back to watching her show.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She crumbled to the ground after running for half an hour, curling herself into a tight ball as she put her weight on the trunk of a tree. Panting, she forced her eyes shut, tears leaking out in steady streams. Painfully the image of them kissing replayed over and over in her mind, despite how she tried to stop it. Only a mere two hours ago she had held possession of those lips, but now Ayeka...

It was as she feared. She was certain his acceptance of her had been pity. She could see him clearly in her mind, pity and sorrow swirling in his eyes. _Poor little Ryoko got raped. Better go soft on her. _Another wave of anguish overtook her at this and she felt an impossible increase of her tears. Anger swirled inside her. Anger at the thoughts invading her mind. Anger at what had happened. Anger that she should have stopped it. Unconsciously she took a deep breath and let out a scream that ended when her lungs were empty and her throat burned. Her body had tensed with the action, her fists balled at her sides. She remained rigid for a moment as if she would try to do something, but she simply collapsed back towards the tree, her tears coming silently once more. 

"Ryoko!" She heard Tenchi's panicked voice yell in the distance. _Please, go away, _She thought to herself. _Just leave me alone._

"Ryoko."

She refused to open her eyes and look at him, even as she sensed him drop to his knees on the ground in front of her. He tried to take one of her hands, but she roughly wrenched it away from him. She was surprised when he went silent and ceased his efforts to touch her. 

"God, you did see."

It was muttered under his breath. Muttered like he was irritated at being caught. She suddenly wondered how long it had been going on. Had she intruded upon the first time or had she simply been witness to lovers' quarrel? She looked up at him then, the fire of her anger seeming to crackle like lightning in her golden eyes. She could tell her abrupt movement had caught him off guard, but he did not recoil from her. "How long?" Her voice splintered into pieces as it traveled from her aching throat. 

"What?" He seemed confused.

"How long have you been hiding it? Do you love her? Was it just going to be a pity fuck with me?!?!" She yelled in his face.

She became angrier when she saw him have the nerve to get upset with her. "Pity fuck?" He asked her, his voice low yet as dark as hers was. "You actually think me capable of a pity fuck?" 

She stared at him defiantly, but not able to bring herself to voice an answer.

"I was not looking to hand out a pity fuck this morning. I could never do that to someone I..." Despite how angry he evidently was, he was still holding back. "I wish you hadn't seen what had happened with Ayeka."

"Why not?" She hissed.

"Because it was her advance and I rejected it. She opened herself to me and I told her the truth... that I didn't love her."

She softened a little visibly as he said this. "How did she take it?" She asked now quietly. Hell, she had just broke apart when she had seen them together without any verbal proof that she had lost him. She could only imagine how Ayeka was feeling having been solidly turned down. 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. It brought her attention back to his black eye momentarily, but he kept his face dipped downward. "I don't really know. I'm kind of afraid that she will never talk to me again," The last of her anger started to melt away as he talked. His eyes stay riveted on the ground as he continued. "She thought that I was hiding a relationship with you."

Ryoko's heart sped up, but not in a good way. "Did you tell her..."

He shook his head firmly. "No. Of course not. That is not my business to tell anyone." He was startled slightly as her hand crept out and cupped the side of his face. He looked up at her uncertainly.

"That's quite a black eye."

He relaxed a little, glad to see she had calmed down some. He knew in her own way she was trying to work her way around to an apology. "It's fine," He muttered in reply as he curled his hand around hers. She looked up at him and he observed what a distressed state her body was in. He pulled away from her reluctantly. "I still can't believe you would think that I would do something like that out of pity."

"I don't Tenchi," She rushed to reassure him, crawling closer to him. "I just overreacted. I had a fear that you were taking pity on me because you thought I was weak. I'm sorry Tenchi," She loomed closer begging acceptance. "Please believe me."

"Look at me Ryoko," He said after a moment of silence. She locked eyes with him and realized a deep seriousness had taken over him. "I want you to know that I would never do anything to deliberately hurt you. I... care too much about you to see you in any kind of pain."

She simply nodded to let him know she understood. Finally, it felt as if the tension in her body was starting to leave. She gave a soft sigh and sagged from her crouching position of making her way over to him to sit on the ground. 

"So... did Washu say you were okay?"

Her eyes slipped closed briefly at the mention of the incident. The last thing she wanted to think about was the barren feeling she now felt inside since knowing the truth. "Yes. She said I just had a flashback of my repressed memories triggered by our contact."

"Will it happen again?" He questioned.

She cracked a wry smile at him. "I doubt it. I remember everything now so I don't see why it would."

"I'm glad to hear that," He felt awkward with her trying to make light of the situation. 

The smile faded from her face at seeing him still so serious. Her mind was reluctantly brought back to what she had come to talk to him about. She scooted closer to him and crawled into the place between his legs he had left open when he had decided to finally sit down. She could tell he was surprised by her movement, but made no indication that he was unnerved by her. She timidly rested her hands on his chest and looked up at him. "Tenchi," She began softly. "We need to talk."

He laid his hands to rest on the small of her back and fastened his eyes onto her. "I know," He replied.

"Do you..." She looked down at the ground for a moment in shyness, then forced herself to look at him. "Do you regret this morning?"

He sighed at her comment. He knew that was what she had been thinking about. "Do you?" He decided to respond.

"Sort of," She muttered. "I regret it because it ended up getting you a black eye."

He chuckled softly, catching her off guard. "I don't mind the black eye. Not with what I got in exchange for it."

Ryoko's cheeks turned pink with his comment. "Do you mean that?" She asked as she took in a breath.

"The only thing I regret about this morning Ryoko besides the flashback was that I was too cowardly to have done it myself sooner," He moved a hand from her waist and stroked one of her cheeks softly.

Ryoko turned a deeper pink, starting to become overwhelmed. 

The logical part of him knew that he shouldn't but his emotions began to overtake him. The warmth of her was radiating out to him and she looked so fragile, so beautiful... He just wanted to kiss her and let everything in that tell her that it would all be alright.

He leaned in towards her and a mere millimeter from her lips she panicked and fell backwards, quickly climbing out of his lap. Her heartbeat sped up as she jumped to her feet, looking down to find a rather bewildered boy looking up at her. Fear from an unknown source gripped her even as she saw a mixture of desire and sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry Tenchi," She started.

"You don't have to apologize," He said quickly as he stood up.

"No," She stuck a hand up to silence him. "Please, let me finish. I'm sorry about this morning. I wanted to do it, and I liked it, but I shouldn't have. And I shouldn't have encouraged you to try it right now either. The truth is... that I need to step back from this. I need to figure out who I am."

Tenchi looked more confused than he had a moment ago on the ground. "What does that mean?" He asked softly, a growing dread settling into his stomach. 

"That means I'm leaving."

***

Ending author's note: I know that it took forever for me to post the next chapter of this story, but for the people still reading it, thanks for hanging in. I will try to have another chapter up soon. Remember to give feedback!


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